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HIS
With out tanks nearing empty and in need of some fuel,
Suzanne and I stopped to fill up at Quaker Steak and Lube, 3725 Presidential
Drive, across from Wright
State University.
From the outside,
Quaker Steak appears to be an automotive shop, you have to read the sign
carefully to notice it’s not the oil company, on which the name is based.
Rather than mechanical supplies, it’s a variety of sandwiches, steaks, ribs and
their specialty wings that are available.
The automotive
atmosphere is prevalant throughout the building with the door handles made from
gas pumps, paintings of cars on the walls and frames hanging from the ceilings.
It’s the setting, which is perhaps their biggest selling point, above the food.
We were seated
right away in the dining room, which was close to full, and there was a wait by
the time we left, which was on a Tuesday night. At the tables the menus are
kept between a set of little antenna’s.
Our server, with
a smile, quickly arrived to take our drink orders and allowed us time to decide
on a main entrée. If I was really hungry, and had a thicker wallet, there are a
number of appealing appetizers to choose from, such as: O-rings, soft pretzels
and fried pickles, but I chose to save, both, some calories and money. However,
I do suggest trying the fried pickles, which I had done on a previous visit, if
for no other reason just to experience a taste that isn’t available at many
places.
I decided on the
wings, a combo meal which included the Bavarian soft pretzels. Quaker Steak is
known for their selection of 19 sauces, each available at the gift shop. While
not ready to try the Atomic sauce, which requires a waiver to be signed, in
sake of a good article I was willing to risk my well being for the readers
delight and chose the Cajun. The Cajun is ranked third from the top on the
hotness chart, just two away from the Atomic. Hey, give me a raise and I’ll go
even higher.
With my strawberry lemonade, which is
promoted in the menu as having endless refills as well as a glass of water, I was
prepared to enter the Danger Zone.
Our food arrived
in an acceptable amount of time, but my natural thirst had already taken most
of my strawberry lemonade. In case of emergency I had my water, plus all the
refills I needed.
Though I must
admit, I sweated more bullets in anticipation of my Cajun wings than the flavor
actually caused. There is no comparison to the hot wings at many of the other
chains. It may have been a blessing because I never did get my refill of
Strawberry-Lemonade and I even had water to spare.
Don’t get me
wrong, the wings did have a good Cajun flavor, and were rather meaty. I am
thrilled they didn’t cause me to suffer.
The soft
pretzels were very pleasing; warm, soft and salty, it would be hard to find one
better in Germany.
It comes with a cup of cheese-dip spiked with Guinness beer but I preferred it
plain.
Upon the finish
of our meals, we were given a warm wet napkin to clean ourselves and a Twizzler
to add a sweet taste to the sourness of the checks arrival.
Our tanks were
filled and that’s the most important part but for me the scenery still outranks
the product which is a service a restaurant shouldn’t necessarily strive. However, if you’re in the mood for some
interesting and unique atmosphere, Quaker Steak & Lube is worth a try.
HERS
When I heard that our destination was Quaker
Steak, I wondered if the meal could overcome the negative impressions that
lingered in my head from previous visits years ago. When this restaurant first
opened in our area, I visited it twice and didn’t bother to give them an opportunity
for a third strike. As I recalled, I wasn’t impressed with the quality of the
food or with the portions in relationship to the price. However, I have to say
that this visit was more pleasant than either of my others. I ordered the
grilled boneless wings & fresh steamed broccoli, along with an iced tea. The
lube sauce that I ordered to cover my chicken was golden garlic, the hottest
garlic sauce that the restaurant had available, weighing in at a 2030 SHU. The
presentation of the meal and flavor of the meal were both good, but I would
call the sauce “warm” rather than “hot,” by my standards. The healthy meal came
served with wedged pita bread and a lettuce blend on the plate. All things considered it was the perfect
amount of food for a meal with a healthy spin on the “hot wing” craze. Although
the server was friendly, she could have been more attentive. When eating food that is expected to be hot,
it probably isn’t a good idea to let the customer run dry on the drink. She did
bring me a second iced tea, but it wasn’t until I had paid and was ready to
leave. All in all, I was much more satisfied with this visit, albeit I still
found that approximately $14 for the whole meal including the tip was a bit
pricey for this person.
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